Les Grands Fonds

I don't know why IMDb is carrying such a negative review of this classic film on the front page. But I'm happy to note a lot of very positive reviews thereafter. Not much more I can add, but this is one of the classics of the golden era of film-making, without the CGI, hyped-up violence, obsessive sexuality and general lack of any kind of emotional depth of current popular cinema. While being in that category (popular cinema), this film is still great entertainment, often going pretty "deep". And there are of course the bonuses of the legendary Robert Shaw, the unforgettable beauty of Jacqueline Bisset, a young Nick Nolte full of promise, a wonderful score by John Barry, and plenty of evocative scenery, both below and above sea level.

This film didn't quite make the splash that "Jaws" did two years earlier but remains a fine picture with tense moments and fine underwater photography. The stars, Nick Nolte and Jacqueline Bisset, a vacationing couple, find a different kind of treasure in a wreck off the Bermuda shore and soon have the island thugs around to pay them a visit. Seems as though a cache of morphine could be profitable in the drug market, which a Haitian dealer desires to exploit. The latter uses intimidation and voodoo to get his point across to the couple, who later get help from a seaman and treasure expert to keep the villains at bay. Bisset is nice to look at in her wet t-shirts and shorts but Robert Shaw and Lou Gossett supply the key moments of drama in the film more than do Nolte or Bisset. The picture does drift off course in spots but Shaw and Gossett stay on a collision course that results in an exciting undersea climax. The film never received its due as an adventure worthy of critical acclaim.

In spite of its many shortcomings (lazy direction, over-the-top acting, gratuitous violence, to name a few), you really HAVE to love this movie! Two years removed from the sensational release of JAWS, THE DEEP in many ways had some very big shoes to fill. For me, THE DEEP is JAWS-lite -- a kind of melodramatic, soap-opery version of JAWS. For all its flaws, allow me to wax poetic about the many virtues of this sublime cinematic guilty pleasure:

1) That amazing opening aerial montage of Bermuda - maybe the greatest opening establishing shot in the history of cinema. All the Bermuda based location work in this movie is top notch, adding a rich and handsome texture to the otherwise middling narrative.

2) Robert Shaw. While his performance is slightly overbaked (while also channeling and lazily riffing on Quint), his performance still manages to be larger than life - the delightful glue that keeps this movie together. What an amazing run he had over the last five years of his life, highlighted by THE STING in '73, THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1-2-3 in '74, JAWS in '75, BLACK Sunday in '76 and THE DEEP in '77. Amazing.

3) A 32 year old Jacqueline Bisset. As a 13 year old boy, I can assure you that she made a pretty indelible impression on me.

4) The great supporting turns from Eli Wallach and Lou Gossett, Jr.

I could go on but suffice it to say that watching this movie from time to time is sorta like taking a warm bath in the dead of winter. It's one of those movies that somehow never gets stale and always manages to entertain despite its shortcomings.

Peter Yates directed this beautiful escape from reality adventure in which our protagonists Nick Nolte and Jacqueline Bissete team up with the silver screen legend Robert Shaw to find a sunken treasure off the beaches of Bermuda. Unfortunately they encounter competition who would go at great lengths to get what they want - even if it means murder - unless our protagonists' intrepid assistant (Robert Shaw) uses his valuable knowledge to keep the tables turned and remain one step ahead.

This film is a delight from start to finish. From the opening sequences of clearing clouds and Bermuda coming into focus and the astonishing underwater photograpy to the action packed adventurous finally, you simply can not take your eyes off the screen. The music from the one and only John Barry (who bought you the unforgettable themes from James Bond and Born Free) is mesmerizing and suits the picture elegantly. The cinematography is beautiful and gives you a lust for the holiday destination. Most importantly, the plot (written by the man who bought you 'JAWS') is original and riveting and high in adventure - I truly recommend this to all adventure fans.

Cast selection was genius. At the time, Nick Nolte was a new face to the silver screen and brought an unforgettable performance as an obsessed husband clearly hypnotized by the idea of Gold. Jacqueline Bissete is, well, how can I put this? - I would have liked to have been there with her on her holiday (gosh is she beautiful or what?). It was Robert Shaw I believe, who brought the most to the film. He is witty, ignorant, a know-it-all and a man who isn't afraid of anything and this is what people come to see adventure films for. I can't imagine anybody else nailing the role like he has. Pure brilliance from a great British actor.

Now how does a film with an interesting, ORIGINAL plot, great cast (including a legend), calm and mesmerizing music, golden cinematography and a great 'quotable' screenplay come to such underrated status is beyond Bermuda's Triangle. The current rating that IMDb gives to this film will never do it justice. I only hope for those who haven't seen it to overlook the score it has been given and take some time to sit back and escape to the fantastic world of "The Deep" - an experience I will be taking for many years to come. For me, a classic adventure of pure escapism!

In Bermudas, while diving for pleasure, David Sanders (Nick Nolte) and Gail Berke (Jacqueline Bisset) find a submerged vessel, and they bring a couple of objects withdrawn from the ship. They look for the advice of Romer Treece (Robert Shaw), an expert in treasures and old ships, and they realize that indeed there were two vessels in the same location: a French one, from the Eighteenth Century, with a treasure in jewels, and another one, from the war, with a load of morphine. David and Gail associate to Treece, trying to recover part of the underwater wealth. Meanwhile, the powerful Haitian drug dealer Henri Cloche (as Louis Gossett Jr.) menaces the group, trying to get the drugs. "The Deep" is a very linear adventure, without any plot point or surprises. The wonderful locations, the magnificent photography, the good cast and the amazing beauty of Jacqueline Bisset support this movie, which is recommended for killing time only. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "O Fundo do Mar" ("The Bottom of the Sea")